Absolutely no one saw this coming.
After FIFA announced that the upcoming 2026 World Cup would feature three-minute hydration breaks halfway through each 45-minute half, the obvious next step was to institute commercial breaks during those periods for the television audience. Well, it didn’t take long for that reality to seemingly manifest.
According to a report by Alex Silverman and Josh Carpenter in Sports Business Journal, FIFA is in discussions with its broadcast partners at Fox and Telemundo “about the possibility of using the newly implemented World Cup hydration breaks for commercial opportunities.”
The decision would be a huge break from soccer’s traditional broadcast habits. Top leagues throughout the world play two 45-minute halves without any stoppages for commercial breaks. Obviously, a three-minute stoppage in play during each half offers a prime opportunity for both networks and advertisers to capitalize on a captive and engaged audience.
Per SBJ, discussions about implementing ads during World Cup games are still “ongoing.” Further, it’s “unclear” what exact types of ads would be instituted. One option could be the “double-box” which has become popular in sports like golf and NASCAR. These ads split the screen in half, with one side showing live action while the other side airs a commercial. FIFA and its broadcast partners could also offer sponsored segments during the hydration breaks. These would not be as disruptive as a double-box or full-screen advertisement, but would still likely be met with mild annoyance from viewers.
Interestingly, SBJ also reports that “it’s unlikely FIFA would get incremental revenue from allowing the networks to sell the hydration breaks, as all commercial deals for the World Cup likely would be done at this point.” However, one would have to imagine advertisers would be chomping at the bit to fill such prime real estate during the World Cup, so perhaps some deals can get reworked.
Whatever happens, it’s clear that more advertisements continue to creep into live sports broadcasts. Just this year, the NFL’s popular RedZone whip-around show has been widely criticized for implementing commercials into what was once an ad-free broadcast. The World Cup, which is much more widely consumed than RedZone, could bring this outrage to a new level if FIFA and its broadcast partners do ultimately decide to turn hydration breaks into commercial breaks.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.